


The Peculiar Nature of Being Human

by littleoptimistme



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Evil Steven Universe, F/M, Gen, Pink Diamond, Redemption, Steven Universe Future, connie is just trying her best, steven is a bratt, steven is raised by the diamonds, the diamonds found steven as a toddler and raised him on homeworld
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-04 04:57:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21191939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleoptimistme/pseuds/littleoptimistme
Summary: How much of you is made up of the people around you, the people who shaped you to be who you are?Every time she falls asleep, Connie begins to wake up in one of two worlds. In one, her friend Steven Universe was raised by Greg and the Crystal Gems, and in the other, the Diamonds found Steven as a toddler and raised him as Pink Diamond. Now she has to navigate the whims of a tyrannical ruler she is determined to 'fix' while trying to determine where she stands in her relationship with the Steven from Earth.





	The Peculiar Nature of Being Human

Connie could fix anything. Broken sink? Fixed. Feeling sad? She could fix that too. Need new shoes? She had an extra pair in the backpack on her motorcycle just for a situation like this. Not to mention sunscreen, scissors, a knife, a sewing kit, energy bars, an extra set of clothes, a book, a wilderness survival guide, a flare, and a pack of gum.

It had taken several months to convince her mother that she should get a motorcycle instead of a car. She got her license on her 16th birthday, classes already completed, and she was already a fine driver. Better than dad, to be honest (She didn’t mention that, however, after her first attempt to explain parallel parking had resulted in squabbling for the rest of the evening).

She knew how to sway her mother.

She did research, compiled several research projects from the internet (peer-reviewed, of course), and made a list of benefits. The vehicle was cheaper. Gas was cheaper. There was no heavy, dangerous traffic in Beach City. It would fit easier in the garage. She could fix it herself if it broke. Also, she regularly battled with otherworldly corrupted gems and riding a motorcycle was hardly the most dangerous thing she’d done thus far.

Connie was beyond prepared for this presentation, and it made her feel warm inside to see her Mom nod approvingly over the pile of research projects. She met her eyes and smiled a little bit. Then, very seriously, her mother shut the papers and stacked them neatly. “Doug,” she called over her shoulder.

Her dad looked up from his kindle on the couch. “Hmm?”

“What do you think about this?”

“Sure. Why not?”

Connie gasped and hopped on her toes. “Really?”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Her mother held up a hand. A long moment passed as she apparently debated. And then Mrs. Maheswaran sighed. “You will wear a helmet.”

“Ohmygosh, thank you thank you-”

“And! No riding after dark-” Connie leaped forward and hugged her mom tightly, cutting off her words.

“I’ll be careful, I promise! I’ve got to, oh I’ve got to tell Steven!”

And just like that, she rushed out of the room and up the stairs, leaving the papers behind.

Her parents exchanged glances.

“What?” Mrs. Maheswaran said.

A grin was growing on Mr. Maheswaran’s face and he attempted to hide it behind that kindle.

“Oh, calm down.”

“I’m gonna take her to pick it out.”

Mrs. Maheswaran rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too.

It had been a few months since she’d gotten the motorcycle, and Connie still loved it. Sometimes Steven would take rides on it with her and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t really look forward to those rides. Steven was a naturally cuddly person and so it wasn’t like she hadn’t been close to him before. But there was something different about being on a motorcycle together. It wasn’t a hello or goodbye hug, it wasn’t accidentally brushing against each other, and it wasn’t playful shoves. She could feel the warmth of him on her neck, his hands around her stomach and he’d laugh his silly, happy laugh when she raced over bumps.

The problem was that she had literally no idea what Steven thought about these rides. She  _ thought _ he must like her too. But he kept that part of himself hidden when they were Stevonnie and it wasn’t like she could just  _ ask  _ him. He could act so young sometimes, and they’d been friends for so long and it was all too precious to screw up. Connie wasn’t a screw-er-up-er she was a fixer, and she  _ couldn’t  _ make a move until she knew for certain that Steven actually did feel perhaps  _ more _ than friendship for her. It was entirely possible he really was as oblivious as he acted!

Ugh. The whole thing made her feel a little nauseous. It didn’t help that everyone already assumed they were dating. Not to mention her parents, who were just really confused, honestly. Her mother could not understand why she would spend time with ‘the boy’ if she wasn’t considering him as a ‘potential partner’.

She tried to put those feelings on a backburner. Steven had enough drama going on in his life without dealing with her stupid emotions. What did it matter that they were sixteen and a half and he acted like he was still twelve most of the time around her? Who cared really if he spent more and more time off-world learning from the Diamonds? He was a space prince! He was busy and there were way more people to take care of on the millions of planets out there. Steven Universe, indeed.

It was dumb. She had her own life, and she was going to be an astronaut eventually. She’d get out there in space by her own abilities. She didn’t  _ need _ him.

But Connie did want him. If he’d have her.

She was thinking thoughts such as these on the bus ride home from school. There wasn’t a high school in Beach City, and the nearest one her mother liked was forty minutes away. She begged her mom to let her ride her motorcycle to school, but her mother was convinced she wouldn’t be aware enough early in the morning to ride a motorcycle. So the bus it was, still. It was dumb.

Connie didn’t have a lot of friends at school. It wasn’t that people hated her or anything. Most of them were really nice. She’d been invited to a few parties, some after school hangouts, etc. but she was really busy. Missions with the gems, fencing practice with Pearl, plans with Steven. Her life just wasn’t with the people at school. So when the invites started to trickle away and friendships contracted to friendly hellos in the hallway, Connie wasn’t exactly  _ surprised _ . But still, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

She sat in the back of the bus, backpack on her lap, a jacket against the window, and her head against that. She closed her eyes and put in her earphones. She was in the middle of a true crime podcast she was a fan of and the voices clamored on as she slowly fell asleep on her way home.

That was the first time it happened. She didn’t feel anything. In fact, Connie only woke up because her earphones made a weird noise and the podcast came to a halt.

Frowning, she yawned and pulled out the earphones blearily. Were they home already?

She opened her eyes.

And sat up.

She was on the floor of a very tall, pink-colored room, leaning against the corner wall. Connie slowly took her backpack off her lap, curled her legs beneath her, and stood.

The room was completely silent. The ceiling was lost in shadows, but the actual room was perhaps twenty-feet long and wide. To the right, there was a diamond-shaped window with a seat beneath it. To the left, a large pink bed. And on the floor around it, various soft blankets, strange contraptions seemingly carved from stone, as if the occupant had left in the middle of some game. Next to the bed, there was a dresser, and next to that, was a… minifridge? It stood out only because of its incredible normalcy in comparison to the alien nature of the rest of the room.

Connie could have guessed where she was, but she padded to the window to confirm anyway. It had been quite a while. She climbed up onto the tall window seat and pushed back the loose curtains. Outside, the sun glinted off of a bright, colorful, bustling city. Homeworld. She would recognize it anywhere. The city was stunning. Every building was made of colored glass of various thicknesses, and it created the most incredible light show she’d ever witnessed.

But what was more important was  _ why _ she was on Homeworld. Also: how.

This was Steven’s room, obviously. Or rather, Pink Diamond’s. But it must have been renovated for Steven to stay in at some point. That made sense. It was sort of sweet of the Diamonds to get him the fridge.

Perhaps there was some sort of glitch? Or maybe… She blinked a few times and ground her hands against her eyes.

“Am I dreaming?”

Did she remember falling asleep? She did. Sometimes dreams with Steven were weirdly vivid like this. But Steven was usually  _ present _ in the dreams. She couldn’t remember ever being alone.

A door behind her slid open, seamlessly blended into the wall. “-estly, it’s like you’re defective,” said a voice. 

Connie didn’t even think. She dropped and slipped under the bed, over the blankets on the floor, and curled one up to cover her. She stayed still, breathing through her nose.

“My g-greatest apologies, my Diamond.”

“Sure you are. Go away now.”

The gem, whatever it was, squeaked, and the door shut as she scurried away.

Connie frowned. She knew the voice, of course. A pair of feet crossed the room, and Connie traced them with her eyes. Pink sandals. She relaxed and climbed out from under the bed. “Oh, thank the stars! I’m so glad you’re here too.”

The figure had been at the windowsill and he spun around with a quite undignified squeak. But then he summoned his shield and before Connie could say anything else, she was pinned against the wall. He’d moved so fast, she hardly saw him. He was suddenly inches away from her, the edge of the shield pressed against her collarbone.

Connie shrieked. She didn’t understand. “What are you doing!”

“What am I-? What are  _ you  _ doing in my  _ room _ ?”

“I woke up here!”  
“How dare you. Its a crime to lie to a diamond!”

Connie stuttered.  _ What? _ Why was he acting like this?

For the first time, she took his appearance in. He was wearing a light pink t-shirt with a diamond cut out of the center showcasing the gem in his stomach, a darker pink jacket on top, and pink pants. His hair was carefully brushed back, not the curly mess Connie was used to. His eyes were pink and the pupils slitted. Like a diamond’s. More importantly, there was not an inkling of recognition.

He pushed the shield against her harder. “What sort of gem are you anyway?” He looked her up and down with obvious disgust, and Connie was almost offended.

“I’m not a gem,” she managed. She pushed back on the shield, but his strength was far beyond hers. He didn’t budge.

He frowned. “What?”

“I’m  _ human _ . It’s me.  _ Connie _ . Your friend! I literally texted you twenty minutes ago! You said you didn’t have to come back to Homeworld until next week!” She was starting to panic, terror coursing through her veins like ice. Something was  _ so very wrong _ , and she just didn’t understand.

The thing that looked like Steven stared at her as if she’d just told him grass was blue.

“Is your coding compromised?”

Connie had no idea what the heck that was supposed to mean. “What? No. Look, please, something weird is going on. I fell asleep on the bus-”

“The bus,” he parroted.

“... yeah. And when I woke up, I was here. I-I don’t know what’s going on. Please, you’re hurting me.”

He raised an eyebrow as if she’d said something vaguely amusing. “Don’t think that just because I am the youngest of the Diamonds, that I am any less competent. White says that once I am fully grown, I will be stronger than all three of them together. I have spent my entire life in training. I’ve survived wars and have thousands of gems under my command. You don’t stand a chance, rebel.”

Okay. okay, cool. Cool, cool, cool. This wasn’t Steven. It couldn’t be. It was a dream. Or it was something that looked like Steven. Those eyes, completely devoid of kindness, were  _ not _ Steven’s.

So, he was an enemy.

Connie acted fast. She kicked and managed to get him on the knee. Not-Steven jumped back reflexively, clearly more offended and shocked than hurt, and Connie took her chance. She swept forward, grabbed one of the rock-things from the floor and kept it in her fist when she hooked the back of his knee, bringing him crashing to the floor. A weapon, she needed a weapon. There! Another rock, a bigger one this time. She grabbed it and threw it at him, scrambling back.

The rock hit Not-Steven in the back. Or, it would have, but he whipped around faster than he should be able to move and grabbed the stone in midair. He was on his feet in half a moment. He flipped up into the air and landed between her and the door, catlike.

“That was good,” he said. “I’ll give you that.”

Connie clenched her jaw. The window. Could she get out of the window? She raced toward it, jumping up to the still, but a hand caught the back of her shirt and flung her to the ground mercilessly. Her lungs contracted and she gasped and coughed on the floor, suddenly dizzy.

There he was, standing above her. He pressed his shield to her neck. The edge was razor sharp.

_ Oh God, please don’t let me die. Steven will never forgive himself. _

“Please-”

He sneered. “Good gems don’t  _ beg. _ But you’re not a good gem, are you? How did someone as stupid as you manage to get all the way into my room, hmm?”

She said nothing, quivering, gasping for breath.

“No matter. It’s not important. You’ll be a fun story to tell Blue at dinner. I didn’t even need anyone’s help!” He raised the shield fractionally, ready to bring it down onto her exposed neck.

“Steven. I’m not lying-” She screwed her eyes shut and waited for the blow to fall.

And… waited.

Connie opened her eyes.

Not-Steven was frozen, brow furrowed in obvious shock and confusion. He didn’t move the shield away, but he didn’t let it fall either. “How do you know that name?” he hissed.

Connie wanted to cry suddenly. “Because you’re my  _ friend _ and I’ve known you since we were kids! I told you, I don’t know what’s going on!”

Not-Steven said nothing for a long while. Then, very slowly, he pulled back the shield. Connie shifted up onto an elbow and he jerked back. “Don’t move.”

“Don’t boss me around!” she snapped.

That seemed to just confuse him even more. The nasty look in his eyes was gone completely and instead, he just stared at her in utter bafflement. “There’s no way you could know. Only me and the Diamonds know that name.”

An explanation was starting to take form in Connie’s mind. It wasn’t an explanation that made any sense, but Connie wasn’t sure what else could be going on. “I-I have proof,” she said desperately. “I took a picture with you like three days ago. It’s on my phone.”

Not-Steven cocked his head. “Your  _ what _ ?”

“My uh… it’s easier if I just get it. It’s in my backpack.” She pointed at her school bag, which had fallen and emptied across the bedroom floor

His eyes narrowed but after a moment, he nodded and stepped back. Very slowly, she crawled on her hands and knees to the backpack. He tensed when she reached into the bag. Connie raised her hands again in surrender. “I swear, I don’t want to hurt you, Steven. I’m just getting my phone.”

He did not look like he believed her, but Not-Steven didn’t stop her when she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, still connected to her earphones from earlier. Curiosity finally won out over suspicion and Not-Steven deactivated his shield and came up behind her to look at the screen over her shoulder. She could feel the heat of him, an electric power that  _ her _ Steven only had during very great moments of exerting his powers. This Steven almost vibrated with it as if it was a constant. She stayed very still and tried to hide her shaking hands when she unlocked the phone.

There they were on the lock screen, Connie and Steven, taken during a Saturday picnic trip in Steven’s new car. He was driving, eyes only cautiously on the camera, smiling carelessly. Connie was on the front passenger seat, throwing up a silly peace sign.

“Give me that.” Before she could protest, Not-Steven snatched the phone out of her hand.

Connie pursed her lips. Not-Steven’s eyes darted all around the photo and she watched a strange progression of emotions, moving from skeptical to confused to angry and back again to confused. “I have more,” she said. She swiped it open and scrolled through her photos. There were dozens of Steven. Her and Steven, Steven and Garnet and Amethyst on the couch, Steven with a waffle that vaguely resembled Pearl’s head, which he was laughing about, everyone on the beach, etc.

Not-Steven’s frown deepened.

“See?” Connie tried. “We... we’re friends.”

Not-Steven scoffed. “This is- those are-” He pushed the phone back into her hands and scowled at her. He looked her up and down and shook his head.

Connie waited. She waited as he paced back and forth over the blankets on the floor and she waited as he started and stopped speaking a few times.

And then finally, he crossed his arms. “That was me. In those photos. You could have… made them, somehow.”

Connie shrugged. She rubbed her elbow where she’d hit the floor rather hard a few minutes before. “I-I guess. But I didn’t. That's me and those are you. Or, I think so.”

Not-Steven stopped pacing. “That looked like  _ Earth _ . This is-” He clenched his fists. His eyes gleamed. “This is some sort of rebel plot-”

“No! I-”

“How dare you attempt to  _ manipulate me _ ! I am not a  _ child!” _

Connie raised a hand to defend herself, but it was too late. He flicked his wrist and a pink shield slammed into with all the strength of a moving car. She flew back, smacked into the wall.

Her head burst in pain.

The bus shrieked to a stop, and Connie fell forward into the seat in front of her. She gasped, her heart pounding a million miles an hour.

“You alright, Connie? Connie?”

Connie jerked up, swiping her hair out of her eyes. It was a nice boy from her biology class. He had red hair and freckled and knobby knees. “Oh, yeah.” she managed. “Yeah, Toby, thanks. Just fell asleep s’all.”

She still felt shaky on her walk home.

Not-Steven’s eyes shined in her mind as he’d thrown her against the wall. They were like stone. But it was just a dream.

Connie didn’t bother going inside. Her parents would still be at work. She’d just put her backpack down in the garage, get on her motorcycle, and head to Steven’s.

But as she pulled open the garage, Connie paused, head cocked.

She… didn’t have her backpack.

A deep shiver went down Connie’s spine.

It was just a dream. Wasn’t it?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you think!


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